TOEFL Junior® Standard Test Score Descriptors

Listening Comprehension

Test takers who score between 290 and 300 typically have the following strengths:

They can understand main ideas, whether they are clearly stated or implied, in both academic and non-academic extended spoken texts.

They can identify important details in both academic and non-academic extended spoken texts.

They can make inferences based on a speaker’s intonation or stress.

They can usually understand idiomatic language used in longer, more complex speech.

They can understand how information is being used by a speaker (e.g., to make a comparison or to provide evidence to support an argument) in academic and non-academic extended spoken texts.

Test takers who score between 250 and 285 typically have the following strengths:

They can understand main ideas that are explicitly stated in academic and non-academic extended spoken texts where the language is simple and the context is clear.

They can identify important details in academic and non-academic extended spoken texts where the language is simple and the context is clear.

They can make inferences in short spoken texts where the language is simple and the context is clear.

They can understand some common idioms used in moderately complex speech.

They can understand how information is being used by a speaker (e.g., to make a comparison or to provide evidence to support an argument) when the context is familiar.

Test takers who score between 225 and 245 typically have the following strengths:

They can understand the main idea of a brief classroom announcement if it is explicitly stated.

They can understand important details that are explicitly stated and reinforced in short talks and conversations.

They can understand direct paraphrases of spoken information when the language is simple and the context is clear.

They can understand a speaker’s purpose in a short talk when the language is simple and the context is clear.

Test takers who score below 225 typically need to develop the following skills:

Understanding the main ideas and important details of announcements, short talks and simple conversations

Understanding a speaker’s purpose in a short talk when the language is simple and the context is clear

Paraphrasing spoken information when the language is simple and the context is clear

Language Form and Meaning

Test takers who score between 280 and 300 typically have the following strengths:

They usually recognize the accurate meaning and use of more advanced grammatical structures (e.g., relative clauses) in academic and non-academic texts.

They demonstrate knowledge of a wide range of vocabulary that includes words found primarily in academic texts.

They usually recognize how sentences combine to create cohesive, meaningful paragraphs in non-academic and academic texts.

Test takers who score between 250 and 275 typically have the following strengths:

They usually recognize the accurate meaning and use of basic grammatical structures (e.g., comparative adjectives) in non-academic and academic texts but do not consistently recognize the accurate meaning and use of more advanced structures.

They demonstrate knowledge of vocabulary typically used in everyday, non-academic texts.

They usually recognize how sentences combine to create cohesive, meaningful paragraphs in non-academic texts, but sometimes have difficulty doing so with academic texts.

Test takers who score between 210 and 245 typically have the following strengths:

They sometimes recognize the accurate meaning and use of the most basic grammatical structures (e.g., present or past simple verb tense) in non-academic texts.

They demonstrate knowledge of the most commonly used, non-academic vocabulary.

They sometimes recognize how sentences combine to create cohesive, meaningful paragraphs in non-academic texts, but usually have difficulty doing so with academic texts.

Test takers who score below 210 typically need to develop their proficiency in the following ways:

Increase their general vocabulary

Improve their knowledge and use of basic grammatical structures (e.g., subject-verb agreement or simple prepositions)

Reading Comprehension

Test takers who score between 280 and 300 typically have the following strengths:

They can understand main ideas in non-academic and academic texts, including ones that are not explicitly stated.

They can accurately comprehend important details in non-academic and academic texts, including texts with a high level of linguistic complexity.

They can effectively make inferences when reading, including inferences needed to understand why an author includes certain information (e.g., to make a comparison or to provide evidence to support an argument) in non-academic and academic texts.

They can usually infer the attitude or point of view of a character in a fictional story. They can usually understand figurative language and determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words from context, even in linguistically complex academic texts.

Test takers who score between 245 and 275 typically have the following strengths:

They can understand main ideas that are explicitly stated in non-academic and academic texts.

They can usually identify important details in non-academic and academic texts, even when the context is not always clear and the vocabulary may be unfamiliar.

They can sometimes make inferences accurately, including inferences needed to understand why an author includes certain information (e.g., to make a comparison or to provide evidence to support an argument) in non-academic and academic texts.

They can usually identify events and plotlines in a fictional narrative.

They can usually determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words from context in simply constructed texts.

Test takers who score between 210 and 240 typically have the following strengths:

They can sometimes identify main ideas that are explicitly stated in non-academic texts.

They can sometimes identify basic details in non-academic and academic texts where the language is simple and the context is clear.

They can usually locate basic information in nonlinear texts, such as schedules and menus that use everyday, non-academic vocabulary.

They can sometimes make simple inferences in straightforward, non-academic texts.

They can sometimes determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words from context in simply constructed non-academic texts.

Test takers who score below 210 typically need to develop the following skills:

Identifying main ideas and important details in texts written in simple, clear language

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